Tenants of a Montreal building say they’re ‘trapped’ when the elevator breaks down [Video]

Laurent Morissette had no choice but to postpone his surgery last month because he literally couldn’t leave his building.

He said ever since he moved into the community housing building in Montreal’s Rosemont neighbourhood almost 20 years ago, there’s always been an issue with the elevator.

The eight-storey social housing building went up in 2007 and holds 70 apartments, with 12 tenants being wheelchair users and another eight need the elevator to get to their units.

But sometimes the elevator is down two to three times a week – and now residents were warned it will be out of commission for two weeks as it undergoes maintenance in early December.

“It really reminded me of the COVID era where we were all stuck inside like prisoners,” said Morissette.

He’s not the only one who feels trapped.

Fellow tenant Henri Desbiolles will have to miss important physiotherapy appointments when the elevators will be out of service.

“Right before the holidays,” he scoffed.

Helene Painchaud, a …